Automated pipe clearer

Abstract

An automated pipe clearer that is permanently mounted to a building. The pipe clearer has a spool of cable that extends a head assembly down a pipe. The sealed head assembly contains a motor and has a tip at a forward end. A computer control actuates a feeder to extend the cable and connected head assembly down a pipe towards a clog. When the clog is cleared the feeder re-spools the cable leaving the head assembly in the pipe ready for the next clearing operation.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. An automated pipe clearing device comprising a case assembly and a head assembly;
 the case assembly contains a reel, a cable, a computer and a feeder; 
 the head assembly includes a motor; 
 the head assembly on a first end is connected to a first end of the cable; 
 the head assembly on a second end has a rotatable bit operatively connected to the motor; 
 a second end of the cable is in electrical communication with the computer; 
 the cable includes a wire to supply electrical power to the motor in the head assembly; 
 the feeder is controlled by the computer and selectively spools and unspools the cable from around the reel; 
 the case assembly is permanently mounted at a high side of a pipe; 
 the head assembly permanently remains inside the pipe; 
 in a rest mode the cable is spooled around the reel and the motor is not rotated; 
 in a clearing mode the cable is unspooled from around the wheel so that the cable pushes the head assembly along a length of the pipe and the motor spins the bit so that when the bit encounters a clog that clog is broken and flushed further along the length of the pipe. 
 
     
     
       2. An automated pipe clearing device as in  claim 1  further characterized in that the computer causes the motor to spin the bit only when the bit strikes a clog. 
     
     
       3. An automated pipe clearing device as in  claim 1  further characterized in that the computer is preprogrammed to extend the head assembly a maximum predetermined distance into the pipe. 
     
     
       4. An automated pipe clearing device as in  claim 1  further characterized in that once initiated the computer automatically controls a cycle from rest mode, through the clearing mode and back to the rest mode to clear a clog. 
     
     
       5. An automated pipe clearing device as in  claim 1  further characterized in that the head assembly includes a forward facing camera that is connected to the computer by the wire.